Subtiltie: sharpnesse of wit or reason. Subtilitas mentis. Plin. Subtilitas scriptorum. Cic. Subtilitas iudiciorum. Mar. Intima quæstionum naturalium subtilitas. Quint. Angusta subtilitas, Vide ANGVSTVS. Inenarrabilis subtilitas. Plin. Ludicra subtilitas. Gell.

I. Lit. (mostly post-Aug.; not in Cic.): linearum, Plin. 35, 10, 36, 82: ferramentorum, the keen edge, sharpness, id. 28, 9, 41, 148: inenarrabilis florum, id. 21, 1, 1, 1: muliebris, Vitr. 4, 1 med.: immensa animalium, Plin. 11, prooem. 1, 1: caelandi fingendique ac tingendi, id. 35, prooem. 1: umoris, id. 2, 65, 65, 163. —

II. Trop.

A. In gen., keenness, acuteness, penetration, definiteness, exactness, subtlety, etc. (class.; syn.: acumen, sollertia): sententiarum, Cic. N. D. 2, 1, 1: disputandi, id. Tusc. 3, 23, 56: ea subtilitas, quam Atticam appellant, id. Brut. 17, 67: subtilitas sermonis, id. Rep. 1, 10, 16: credunt plerique militaribus ingeniis subtilitatem deesse, Tac. Agr. 9: ingens, Petr. 31: tanta, id. 38; Sen. Ep. 113, 1: Aristoteles, vir immensae subtilitatis, Plin. 18, 34, 77, 335; cf.: litterarum, id. 2, 108, 112, 247: geometrica, id. 2, 65, 65, 164: perversa grammaticorum, id. 35, 3, 4, 13: subtilitas parcimoniae compendia invenit, id. 17, 22, 35, 171: picturae summa suptilitas, id. 35, 9, 36, 67: inutilis, Sen. Ep. 65, 16: quaedam inutilia et inefficacia ipsa subtilitas reddit, id. ib. 82, 24: nimia, id. ib 88, 43.—

B. In partic., in rhet., plainness, simplicity, absence of ornament: orationis subtilitas imitabilis quidem illa videtur esse existimanti, sed nihil est experienti minus, Cic. Or. 23, 76; id. Brut. 84, 291: suavitatem Isocrates, subtilitatem Lysias, vim Demosthenes habuit, id. de Or. 3, 7, 28: subtilitas et elegantia scriptorum, id. Fam. 4, 4, 1.